Los Angeles vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Los Angeles San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3361
$4110
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7751
$8713
🏠 One person rent
$2151
$2867
🏘️ Family rent
$3720
$4681
🍽️ Food expenses
$750
$852
🚐 Transport expenses
$245
$178
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4549
$7086
😷 Air quality
Good
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
17 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
99
97
😀 Quality of life
94
97
🏙️ Population
3.9M
874K

The cost of living in Los Angeles is 18% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 65th and 5th ($3361 vs $4110) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 51st and 3rd in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.4 months in Los Angeles compared to 1.7 months in San Francisco. Ranked 14th vs 3rd best cities to live in the United States, and 74th vs 20th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Los Angeles vs San Francisco infographic

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Prices in Los Angeles vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in Los Angeles and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Los Angeles San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$22.6
$25.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$90.5
$117
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.2
$13.6
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.27
$8.01
 Cappuccino
$6.49
$5.95
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.83
$3.33
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2364
$3192
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1847
$2524
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4128
$4937
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3274
$4262
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$131
$141
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$205
$216
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$69.6
$68.2
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.62%
6.33%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7753
$10657
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$6833
$9554
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.99
$3.02
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$81.9
$90.8
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$19.5
$20.8
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.24
$1.31
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.3
$1.54
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$3.99
$4.86
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.39
$5.6
🥚 Eggs, x12
$7.62
$7.07
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.8
$23.1
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.6
$14
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.3
$24.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.28
$6.97
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.75
$2.83
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.64
$5.24
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.76
$6.95
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.88
$3.68
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.64
$3.99
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.49
$1.86
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$4.04
$3.36
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.2
$18.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.97
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$13.2
$14
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$10.4
$11.5
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$9.09
$8.05
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.34
$6.99
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.8
$2.46
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$68.9
$101
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18
$17.2
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$168
$149
💇 Haircut, simple
$31.8
$33.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$62
$68.8
👟 Brand Sneakers
$102
$104
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1849
$1880
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$26874
$18564

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Cities near Los Angeles

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Huntington Park
$2803
8.9 km or 5.5 mi Maywood
$2786
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Florence-Graham
$2844
10 km or 6.2 mi Bell
$2780
10 km or 6.2 mi Monterey Park
$2722
11 km or 6.6 mi Alhambra
$2940
11 km or 6.6 mi South Pasadena
$2952
11 km or 7 mi Cudahy
$2764
12 km or 7.6 mi San Gabriel
$3132
12 km or 7.7 mi Bell Gardens
$2728
12 km or 7.8 mi West Hollywood
$3036
13 km or 7.8 mi Montebello
$2739
13 km or 8 mi South Gate
$2762
13 km or 8.2 mi Glendale
$3656
14 km or 8.8 mi Inglewood
$2947
15 km or 9 mi Beverly Hills
$2917
15 km or 9.1 mi Lynwood
$2807
15 km or 9.3 mi Rosemead
$2822
15 km or 9.5 mi Culver
$3002
15 km or 9.6 mi Pasadena
$3706
16 km or 9.9 mi Pico Rivera
$2758
16 km or 10 mi Burbank
$3288
16 km or 10 mi Downey
$2650
17 km or 11 mi Compton
$2856
18 km or 11 mi La Canada Flintridge
$3119
18 km or 11 mi Hawthorne
$2970
18 km or 11 mi Temple
$2855
18 km or 11 mi South El Monte
$2794
18 km or 11 mi West Whittier-Los Nietos
$2769
18 km or 11 mi Paramount
$2731
19 km or 12 mi Gardena
$3004
20 km or 12 mi El Monte
$2810
21 km or 13 mi Lawndale
$3122
21 km or 13 mi Arcadia
$3008
21 km or 13 mi Bellflower
$2725
22 km or 14 mi Norwalk
$2682
22 km or 14 mi Santa Monica
$3595
22 km or 14 mi Whittier
$2788
23 km or 15 mi Manhattan Beach
$3191
24 km or 15 mi Carson
$2927

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3223
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3227
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3255
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3254
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$2961
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3109
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3230
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$2998
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3218
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3026
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3285
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3014
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3317
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3071
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$3797
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3756
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2810
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3634
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2950
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2858
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3553
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2826
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2957
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3382
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$3033
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3890
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2910
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$3818
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2838
38 km or 24 mi Union
$3045
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2850
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2381
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3094
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2823
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2764
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3359
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3333
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3133
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3070
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3765